Black Seclusion
by Polaris Black
Summary: A brother in need is a brother indeed. AU where there is no prophecy. However, Voldemort still terrorises Britain. Not slash.
1. Safe

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, it would be a very, very bad thing. Because I'd take all the money I got from the first couple of books and go out, and I'd probably be dead within a week. And HP would have gone unfinished. So thank god I don't. Oh and I threw in a "_The Thick of It" _quote…so yea, that's not mine either.

**AN: **This story is set in a world where there is no prophecy concerning Harry and Voldemort. That, and one more teensie one are the only changes. But it's a biggie. It means Voldemort still lives, and Lily and James are alive and kicking, alongside little Harry. And of course, the Longbottoms are all ok. Along with a lot of other things that will or wont happen due to the absence of the prophecy, I will be making one other change of my own. Peter Pettigrew will not be a traitor, and he won't be a little rat like he's portrayed in the books and the movies. He'll be a relative equal to the rest of the Marauders.

Hope you like it and thank you for reading.

October 1st, 1978

The island rarely saw humans beyond its sole inhabitant. Curious seagulls flocked inland to see the second human being that had graced their island for 45 years. His figure stood outlined against a frail sun that battled with the grey clouds and rain that followed summer into autumn. He had arrived on Sandray a few hours ago, and his destination was southeast, to the largest beach on the island, south of the sand dunes. As he walked over the final hill, he spotted it. What looked like a shack of some sort had been built in a small nook on the east side of the beach.

_Protection from the wind,_ _he always hated a draft. _The man sighed and rubbed his forehead. His ice blue eyes betrayed his nerves, but he set his jaw and began to walk. He took out a coin and began rolling it down his knuckles, trying to calm himself. As he reached the door he lifted his hand to knock, but it hovered in mid-air, uncertainty holding it in place. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and knocked.

_If I fail, at least I tried. I can live with that. Or die peacefully._

The door was thrown open, and he stepped back.

Sirius Black loved seclusion. He loved being able to simply be alone, to have room to breathe and space to live. He had lived with his best friends for seven years, all of them sharing the same room, the same common room, the same dinner table and the same bleeding bathroom. He loved all the Marauders, they were his brothers, his one true family. But sometimes, he needed to get away from those gits. Away from civilization, away from society. Away from the stigma that accompanied his name.

The Barras Isles were perfect. Sandray was his haven, his little secret hideaway, and his fortress. The dreary weather matched his current disposition and he could be whomever he wanted, no one was there to see and judge. He could run around like a savage, naked except for a loincloth, brandishing a club and screaming at the top of his voice and only the seagulls would care.

That's why it came as quite a shock when someone knocked on his front door.

Sirius sat up with a start, shooting of the sofa, his wand in his hand before he could register his surroundings.

_Who in the bloody hell…_

He approached the door warily, slipping on his boots and protective robe before he turned the handle and yanked the door open.

"_Protego Luminosus!"_

Sirius flicked his wand up, and pointed it in the general direction of the stranger.

"I thought this was supposed to work the other way round," he said sarcastically, as he squinted behind the bright shield to get a good look at his uninvited guest. "With you attacking and me defending."

"Well, I thought you knew who I was and were going to attack me," replied an all to familiar voice. "Seemed like it, the way you barged out like a madman."

"Well, as you can see, its not like I get a lot of visitors," Sirius gestured at the seagulls that were their only audience. "Now would you kindly drop the shield that is currently burning out my corneas?"

The man dropped the shield, and looked at Sirius expectantly. Sirius blinked a few times, waiting as his eyes adjusted and suddenly looked startled. His eyes widened, then narrowed as his whole body tensed up.

"Should've known it was you. You're the only person I know who uses that fucking annoying bright shield spell. How'd you find me?" Sirius growled.

"Pettigrew." The man replied simply.

Sirius lunged forward violently, grabbing the man by his collar.

"If you hurt him in any way, I will tear you into pieces and feed you to the fucking seagulls!"

Sirius threw the smaller man down and pinned him to the ground by his wrists as he sat on top of him. Metallic grey eyes bored into the crystal blue ones as Sirius invaded the mans mind. His probes of pure anger were met by a solid steel wall that recoiled and responded, flinging him away.

"Mother taught me well," the man panted out as he stood up, "That and the old hag would've crucioed me if she knew what I was actually thinking."

"Fuck you Regulus, what did you do to Peter?" Sirius demanded as he picked himself up off the ground.

Regulus Black took a deep breath, casted a quick _scourgify_ on his cloak and examined his nails.

"Nothing. He was the picture of health when I met him, and if anything, he actually looked better after I left."

"If I find out you're lying, I swear to god Regulus - "

"Yes, yes, seagull fodder, I heard you," Regulus waved him off, "Can I come in now? Its about to start pissing down, and this is quite an expensive cloak."

Sirius eyed Regulus up suspiciously, mentally trying to figure out what his weasel of a little brother was up to.

"Fine," Sirius spat, "Take your shoes of though, I don't want you tracking your filthy boots through my immaculately clean house"

The only response he got was a mumbled "Immaculate my arse"

Sirius glared at his little brother and spun around, stomping back into his house. Midway through the hallway he realized Regulus was still hovering by the door.

"Oi, come the fuck in or fuck the fuck off!" Sirius bellowed, "You're letting a draft in!"

Regulus heaved a sigh while he simply looked at his brother.

"Well brother dearest, if you would kindly remove the ward that will eviscerate me upon walking through your front door, that would be lovely, yes? I'd rather not die in this shithole you call a vacation home."

"What ward? The only ward on that door dangerous enough to kill is keyed to - " Sirius stopped, his eyes widened as he stared at his brother in shock.

"Yes, Sirius, I took his Mark. But please, I beg of you, do not turn your back on me. Just simply hear me out, please Sirius." Regulus pleaded, his eyes betraying the fear and terror that he felt.

Sirius looked at his brother, shocked at the sudden change. Regulus had always been arrogant; arrogance was a Black family trait, just like the hair, the eyes, the charm, and of course, the insanity. Even under the shadow of Sirius at Hogwarts, Regulus carried himself with the confidence and imperiousness that portrayed his indifference to all those around him. His face was a mask of disinterest directed to the world around him. However, from their childhood together, Sirius knew that Regulus' eyes always expressed his true emotions. His insecurities. His fears.

And this troubled Sirius deeply.

With a wave of his wand, Sirius brought down his Dark Mark detector ward, and the evisceration ward that activated alongside it. He looked at his brother, concern and worry etched into the lines of his face.

"Its safe now, Reg. You can come in."


	2. Treachery

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

The bond between brothers is a strange one. There are so many different variables that can affect it. Age, size, personality, disposition, the list goes on. The variety of emotions that can be felt all at the same time between brothers is extraordinary. They could loathe each other to the point of refusing to even acknowledge one another, and yet, deep down, they know that they would fight to the death to protect their blood. Especially the elders, they are the protectors and the guardians. Some things never change between brothers, no matter what happens. Some things simply don't change.

"Oi midget, fancy a cuppa? I've got some of that horrible orange flavored stuff which tastes like the bottom of someone's foot that you always loved."

Regulus looked up from where he was sitting in the living room, eyes narrowing as he heard the familiar moniker.

"Must we regress to childlike states Sirius?" Regulus huffed indignantly, "I'm hardly that much shorter than you are."

Sirius popped his head out of the kitchen, grinning at his little brother.

"Aww, does it bother you ickle Reggie?" Sirius whined in a baby voice.

"Fuck off Sirius!"

"Tut tut, mother wouldn't approve of such language."

"Never stopped you." Reg muttered darkly.

"Well of course it didn't! Her opinion meant less to me than the shit on the bottom of your shoes! Now do you want tea or not?"

"Fine, I'll have some bloody tea."

"Alrighty then," Sirius said, still grinning down as he went back into the kitchen, "Just you wait right here and I'll be back in a mo"

Regulus slumped back onto the couch. His head was throbbing. And his feet were cold. He looked about and spotted the fireplace in the corner of the room, and walked over, waving his wand and lighting it. He closed his eyes and lent against the mantelpiece, relishing the tendrils of warmth that curled up and embraced his weary body.

_Merlin this feels good. A proper fire in a proper fireplace for once, rather than some shitty speck of flame that barely passes as a campfire._

His escape from the Dark Manor and the subsequent hunt for him had forced him to live in various forests before he finally tracked down Pettigrew. He had rarely used magic, out of fear of being detected by those hunting him, so those comforts that he was so accustomed too were not available. Comforts like food, shelter, warmth, and security, which were usually easily provided by magic, were extremely hard to come by.

_Good grief, I am never going to get the taste of rodent out of my mouth. Almost as bad as those cockroach clusters Sirius gave me when he came back for Christmas in first year. Maybe just as bad as Mother's cooking, but then again, she only ever cooked that one time, so thank Merlin for that. I mean the woman couldn't work her way round a kitchen if her life depended - _

"Reg?"

Regulus shot up, his inner rambling interrupted. He quickly turned around to see Sirius holding two cups of tea and squinting at him suspiciously.

"You ok?" Sirius said as he walked over and handed Regulus his tea.

"Yea, just a bit tired," Regulus waved him off and set his mug down on the mantelpiece, next to a photo of a grinning child with the brightest green eyes he had ever seen.

"Sirius, is this Potter's child?"

"Yep, that's wee Harry."

"He looks exactly like him. And are those - "

"Lily's eyes? Yea. Lucky kid. He's going to be a real heartbreaker when he grows up. Now I'm sure you didn't come all the way to my island to discuss my friends kids like two old women."

Sirius took a sip of his tea and grimaced.

"Ugh, wrong mug. Don't know how you stand this shit."

Regulus picked up his mug and walked over to the couch. He sat down with a sigh and traded mugs with Sirius.

"Its soothing."

"Why are you here Regulus? Why have you come to me? Why not Snape or some of your other Dark Nutter buddies?"

"I cannot trust them Sirius, not with my life. Their loyalties lie in a higher power, one they cannot control and one that wants me dead."

"Regulus, just tell me what happened? Start from the beginning."

Regulus took a deep breath, and looked into his brothers' eyes.

"Right, ok. Well first, I want to ask you to let me finish my bit before you say anything, understood?"

"Understood."

"It all started at the beginning of the summer, when I kneeled before the Dark Lord and entered his service."

"It was excruciating. The pain that accompanied my marking was unfathomable. There was no concentrated area of pain; it was simply everywhere. I could feel it twisting my body, entering my mind, violating my very soul. There was no escape; there was no shelter. It felt like white, hot swords pierced my flesh, replacing the blood in my veins with streams of acid. My mind began to go blissfully blank as every part of me struggled against this unnatural obscenity. It wasn't right, it felt so horribly wrong, and I immediately regretted my pledge. However, my pride shone through, and not a sound left my lips. This can be said, I remained upright, with only a slightly purse of my lips revealing my pain. Again, I can thank Mother for this. Her random crucios and scolding for showing pain aided my show of indifference to the pain.

As the pain became a deep throb, I looked up at the man whose grasp had yet to leave my arm. His eyes had flashed red as he smirked down at me. I remember he murmured some sort of praise and let go of me, only to admire his handiwork. I looked down, and there it was, this black pockmark of a tattoo that would forever identify me as his property, like cattle. I remember standing up shakily, and walking back to Severus, who handed me some foul tasting potion that made my body cool down. However, something was wrong. Severus had described to me what would happen. He said that the pain would recede after a few minutes, and all I would feel is a small sting every once in awhile. But this pain was not receding, it was intensifying, it felt like it was ripping me apart. I knew what had happened. The last followers were marked, and I swiftly left, apparating back to Grimmauld. There, Kreacher found me - "

"That little shite-stain is still alive?" Sirius cut in, sounding horrified, "I would've thought Mother had chopped his old, wrinkly, ball-sack of a head off by now and put it in one of her horrible glass displays."

Regulus looked at his brother and huffed in irritation.

"Sirius, please! That little "shite-stain" saved my life! And you promised to shut your gob, so shut your fucking gob! This is hard enough as is without you cutting in with some cretinous comment that you believe to be humorous!"

"Whoah, whoah, all right," Sirius said, his eyebrows shooting up at his brothers outburst, "Keep your knickers on Reg, I'm sorry."

Regulus glared at his brother.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes, Kreacher. Sirius, what you never understood is that Kreacher respects those that show him the slightest amount of decency. Even though he loved her, Mother treated him horribly. And when you first left for Hogwarts, you never wrote, and I turned to the only other individual in the house that I could. Kreacher. This little wrinkly elf was capable of such feats of magic that I was shocked! He used to secretly transport me out of the house when I wanted to explore the world, bypassing even Fathers wards! He would sneak me muggle toys when I asked for them and even muggle sweets, even though he disapproved of them. However I loved him, and he knew it. He was my faithful companion, the one thing in my life that did not waver. We shared a bond, him and I. Thus, when I apparated back to Grimmauld, my whole body spasming from shock and pain, he hid me from Mother and took care of me. I told him what had happened. I had taken the Mark, however I had not accepted it. I had outright rejected it, and in that small step of defiance I had rejected the Dark Lord.

And the Dark Mark had sensed my treachery and was trying to kill me."


	3. Master

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

A man and his closest friend, be it a person, an animal or a house-elf, share something extremely special. They share an understanding. They share a link. They share a connection. All of which grows and flourishes over time as the two begin to trust each other. They form a co-dependence that increases in strength as they face trials together. Always together, be it in mind, or in heart, they are always together.

Regulus grimaced as he downed the last, cold dregs of his tea. He took a deep breath and continued.

"Kreacher flew into a panic. He asked if there was anything I could do, but there wasn't. I wasn't nearly powerful enough or skilled in the Dark Arts to undo or battle the wretched Mark. I told Kreacher to leave me to die. He shouldn't have to watch me; it would be far too painful, for us both. I remember he looked at me in the most peculiar way, almost fondly, but with a hint of exasperation, as if I had missed out on something important. Then he sat down next to me and said, "If Master Reggie needs my help, he must simply ask" and continued wiping my head with a towel. Honestly Sirius, it was one of the strangest moments in my life."

Sirius huffed and murmured, "I'll say."

"However, at that moment, the pain became unbearable, and I cried out for Kreacher to make the pain go away. I couldn't take it any more. I desperately thought of ways to cure myself, but I knew it was hopeless. I just wanted it to end, even if it meant begging Kreacher to kill me. So I asked for his help. To this day, I have no idea what he did, but he just laid his little hand on my head and muttered something in a language I have never heard. Everything began to glow a bright green, and it eventually grew so bright that I had to shut my eyes. Even then, from behind my eyelids, I could see the glow. A small tendril of feeling started travelling down from between my eyes, almost like a piece of string was being pulled through my body. This curious sensation travelled down my nose, past my neck and split of into multiple little strings that slowly began travelling to the furthest points of my body. From the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my toes. And then it stopped. All feeling had left my body. I tried to move, but nothing happened. I tried to speak, but my jaw wouldn't open. I felt trapped, locked in my own body. I began to panic, until a creak of a voice said "Master, open your eyes". So I opened them. Instantly, a rush of green light flowed out of my eyes, my mouth flopped open and light flowed from there as well. I was lifted up of the bed; wind was rushing throughout the room, throwing everything around. An incredible feeling of bliss filled me and it was at this point that it all stopped. I went crashing down into the bed, but by the time I landed, I was already gone."

Regulus stopped, waiting for Sirius to say something.

"Bloody hell" was all Sirius could say.

Regulus grinned at his dumbstruck older brother.

"I know right? Pretty fucking mental."

"So what happened next?"

"Well…I woke up a few days later and the pain was gone. There wasn't even a sting. And when I looked down, the mark had faded to a grayish color, almost as if I had gotten it 10 years ago. When I finally found Kreacher and asked him what he'd done, he just smiled and told me he'd simply fixed me, like all I'd needed was a spare part or something. He told me that the Mark still worked, but I was in control of it, rather than the other way round. I could feel if the Dark Lord was summoning me, but he couldn't track me with it or kill me with it. It was no longer tied to my soul. It was like that Charm Mother had on the necklaces she used to put around our necks. The ones that burned like hell when it was time to come in for dinner. What was it called again? Something with a P."

"Protean. It was a Protean Charm"

"That's the one!" Regulus exclaimed, "So yea, it was basically like that."

"And I'm guessing the Dark Nutter found out?"

"Yes, and in the worst possible way too. I had gone by unnoticed for the next few weeks, doing small missions here and there, mostly gathering information. I was glad to only be a grunt; I didn't have it in me to kill, maim and torture. I was disappointed that I wasn't learning anything from him though. I mean, that was the whole reason why I joined him; I wanted to learn dark and forbidden magic. The allure was irresistible. So when he tasked me with a secret mission to go and retrieve something very precious from its hiding place, I instantly agreed. Not that I had a choice mind you, but I like to think that I decided to take the mission on my own terms. I had to go to an old forest in Romania, and look for a tree that was black, withered and dead. In the small hollow of the tree, I found it. An egg. A pitch black, slimy and leathery egg."

"10 Galleons it was a snake egg!"

"Well, whatever it was, when I gave it to him he praised me and told me to leave. So I did. I came back the next day, as I usually did, and met Snape. We were both spies so we would meet up periodically in the day and converse about the recent happenings. However today, he just looked at me in horror and asked me how I was still alive, which, trust me, is never a good thing to hear. Snape told me that after I had left yesterday, the Dark Lord had informed Snape of my death at the hands of the Mark. He'd wanted anything to do with that egg kept a secret, so he must have wanted me dead. So there I was, in his bloody Manor, surrounded by his bloody followers, all of which thought I was dead because of treachery. And then the Mark flared up and I knew that he knew I was still alive. He instantly appeared in the room and sent some sort of spell straight at my head, which hurt like hell and made me go temporarily blind and mute. I was taken to the dungeons and tortured for what felt like years. He would come down every once in a while to question me, asking how I had rid myself of the Marks influence. I kept telling him, I didn't know, and that was the truth. He tried everything. Spells that brought on such excruciating pain that I'm surprised I'm still sane. He broke my bones, melted my skin, pulled out my teeth and nails, everything. When he tried Veritaserum he got the same response. This continued for roughly a week. Then, one night, someone came into my cell and woke me up. It was Snape. He healed me as best as he could and handed me a key, telling me to wait for my moment. The next day, an explosion rocked the Manor, and I ran. I had barely made it outside the gates when an alarm went off, and I knew then that I was to be hunted. I hid out in forests for the next few weeks, keeping my magic usage to a bare minimum. I kept away from any large towns or cities, lived secretly in barns or any sort of shelter I could find, waiting for the right moment to run for help."

"So then I guess you went looking for Pete?"

"Yea, I finally managed to track Pettigrew to an ale house in Dublin through asking people if they had seen anyone with that ridiculous haircut of his. I told him this exact story, and asked him where you were."

"And here you are. How do you know that they wont track you here?"

"I don't. But you were the only person I could think of that could help me. He thinks I have somehow found a way to prevent the Mark from controlling me, so he perceives me as a very, very large threat. To him, I am the beginning of a potential mutiny. If his followers are not loyal on pain of death, he believes that they would not be loyal at all, and turn against him. He fears me, and this is why he is determined to take my life. He will only stop hunting me till my desiccated corpse lies in front of him. I need you Sirius. I need your help."

Sirius got up and walked towards the fireplace. As they were talking the fire had died to a low glow. He jabbed a finger at it and it flared up, causing sparks to fly. He stood there for a few minutes, simply staring into the flames while Regulus nervously fidgeted on the couch. He turned around and regarded his brother, a faint smile on his lips.

This whole situation reminded him of life in Grimmauld Palace. The two of them causing trouble together, but when it came to face their Mothers wrath, Siri would always protect Reg. However, in this situation right now, the stakes were a lot higher than a few crucios here and there. Sirius gave his brother one last look and turned back to the fire.

"I'll see what I can do."

**AN: Thank you for reading.**


	4. Runes

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

**Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy it!**

**3 Days Later:**

The weak morning son battled grey clouds for dominance of the sky as a disturbance on the south-eastern side of the island set in motion an island wide squawk. Thousands of seagulls rose and cackled as a bucket of fishbones was chucked off a cliff overshadowing a small, shed-like protrusion. The shaggy-haired man loped off, muttering about certain white patches that had suddenly appeared on his dark robes.

"Bloody weasels with wings…all they do is poo…wring their necks if they weren't so squirmy…"

Sirius stomped into the kitchen, tracking mud and bits of grass all over the floor, cursing the seagulls till the air turned blue. In his fury, he never noticed the figure standing in the shadow of the doorway.

"Could you be any more of a morning person?"

Sirius jumped, smashing his elbow against the counter.

"BLOODY HELL IN A HANDBASKET!" he squealed in pain, clutching the damaged elbow, "Fuck Regulus, where did you come from?"

Regulus cocked an eyebrow at his older brother, a sly smirk creeping into his face.

"Don't you remember? Last night? Running from the Dark Lord, Kreacher, I explained everything? Sirius, honestly, I know you're getting old now, but this is ridiculous, your memory is shit."

"Stuff it midget. And it seems like there's something wrong with your brain as well little brother. Its' been three days since we had that wee chat and you've been conked out ever since."

Regulus' neck cricked as he quickly looked at Sirius.

"WHAT! Three days? Sirius, no, why would you let me sleep, this isn't good!"

Regulus quickly drew his wand and summoned his cloak, which was wrapped around his belongings. He quickly ran outside and slashed his wand frantically, muttering under his breath while Sirius watched him with wide eyes.

"…._Protego Horribilis_…_Cave Inimicum…..Fianto Duri…..Muffliato….._"

He reached into the inner breast pocket of his cloak, took out five stones with runes carved into them, and banished four of them to the four corners of Sirius' perimeter. The last one he threw at Sirius, who hastily caught it.

"Reg, what in the blazes is going on?" Sirius exclaimed, examining the stone with wide eyes, "I thought you said they weren't hunting you anymore?"

"I never said that! These are highly trained Dark trackers; I'm surprised they haven't blasted down your door already! Take that stone and place it at the central most point in the house. It's an anchor, you'll have to pour some of your own energy into it to strengthen it and tie the whole ward to the house. I've put up several of my own protection spells, but you're going to want to put some up as well."

Sirius cast a spell at the wards Regulus put up, and studied the point where the spell hit as flashes of color sparked up. He nodded and looked at his brother.

"Good job. I just have one," Sirius held his palm up and slashed his wand, "_Salvio Obscura. _There. Now get inside, I'm going to reactivate my Dark Mark ward, and I don't want you getting sliced."

The two of them ran inside, and Sirius waved his wand at the door as it banged shut. It glowed a sickly orange color once and as it faded Sirius once again swished his wand.

"_Colloportus._"

Regulus quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Really Sirius? You think a simple Locking Spell will stop them?"

"Well, no," Sirius said, with a slightly maniacal grin on his face, "But I'm hoping that once they've removed it, they'll miss my other two wards and one of them will get nicely carved up."

"Ah excellent, so a little Black insanity _does_ remain in the prodigal son!"

Mockingly, Sirius touched his heart.

"_Non, je ne suis pas toujours pur, mais je serais toujours fou."_

Regulus narrowed his eyes at his older brother.

"_Tres rigolo. Tu sais,_ _t'es un putain de sang-traitre._"

"_Merci mon petit nain,_" Sirius said, bowing with a flourish. As he straightened up a bang was heard in the distance.

"Shit! They really are here! That'll be your _Fianto Duri_?"

Regulus nodded and walked into the kitchen.

"Where are you going to place the central rune stone? It needs to be at the most central and lowest point."

"Basement then," Sirius replied, examining the stone, "These runes look oddly familiar Reg. Where've I seen these before?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know Siri."

"Tell me! I know I've seen them!"

"Well…these are the runes Mother and Father had on their…er…well, on their bedroom door."

Sirius looked at Regulus confusedly.

"They slept in different rooms. The only room they shared was the room on the top floor and that was only when..."

Sirius' eyes went wide as his face twisted in disgust. He dropped the stone and simply pointed at it.

"So…that….it….those….runes….for….sex….THAT IS DISGUSTING! How could you have handed me that? That's vile and sick and just so very, very wrong!"

"Oh for Merlins sake, would you stop being a child and pick it up?"

Sirius shuffled away from the stone, never taking his eyes off of it.

"YOU pick it up! That thing has been in the same room with the old hag and the wrinkly old man while they were….copulating!"

"Bloody hell Sirius, I didn't say it was the stone from the room, just the runes from the door! I copied them out and put them on this set ages ago. They were never even in the room!"

Sirius looked up at Regulus.

"They weren't?" He said, in a very small voice.

"NO! Now go place it! We don't have much time! I'm going to start packing. For them to have found us this fast the Dark Lord must have sent a large squad of Dark Elites. Against a medium or small one we would have stood a fighting chance, but with just the two of us against the large squads, we wouldn't last a minute. I think we have roughly four hours, so be quick; I want to be gone in two. "

"Aye-aye Cap'n!" Sirius exclaimed, snapping off a quick salute and gingerly picking up the stone between two fingers. He opened the living room door, except the door no longer opened to the living room; instead it opened into a dark, flame-lit staircase that lead downwards. Sirius ran down, banging the door behind him. Regulus heaved a great sigh, turned around, and pulled a small satchel out of his cloak. He started opening all the cupboards and emptying out every bit of food into the satchel, as well as the cutlery. The satchel remained the same size, but began clunking hollowly every time he set it down. Once he cleared out the kitchen, he sat back and waited for Sirius. An hour had passed and Regulus was a bit curious as to what Sirius was doing down in the basement. Surely pouring some energy into the rune stone wouldn't take a whole hour?

Regulus got up a cautiously walked towards the door. He tried opening it, but it kept opening into the living room.

"Basement," He commanded it, with no result. "Open basement. Switch. Underground. Sirius Black."

Regulus continued trying for another 20 minutes, to no avail. Finally, the door opened to reveal Sirius on the other side.

"Finally! What the hell have you been doing? Do you not realize that there are people outside who want to kill us? No, they will kill you, but capture me and torture me to the very ends of insanity!"

Regulus continued ranting for another minute while Sirius just stood there with a smirk on his face.

"Stop that bloody smiling you warped, pox-marked maggot! Where have you been?"

Sirius stepped through the door and gestured, and it was only once Regulus had a clear view of the staircase could he see that there were three figures behind him.

"Getting help, brother dearest."

From the shadows stepped three men that Sirius Black trusted with his life.

James Potter, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

James smirked at Regulus.

"Why so cranky Reggie? Dark Lord got your tail?"

The Marauders were complete.


	5. Bloodlust

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

Regulus stared at Potter, who currently had a very large, shit-eating grin on his face. His mouth opened and closed like a fish as his mind tried to wrap around the presence of the other three Marauders. Finally, he spoke.

"Sirius?"

Sirius glanced at the others, who all just shrugged amusedly.

"Uh, yes Reg?"

"Were you keeping them locked up in your basement or something?"

"No Reg, they just got here."

Regulus shifted his gaze over to his older brother and narrowed his eyes.

"How exactly did these three get here, when the only way to get here is to apparate at least a mile north of here? A spot which is probably presently occupied by a very large group of belligerent Death Eaters trying to break through my wards."

Sirius looked confused at his brothers waspish tone.

"Floo. I had a spare emergency Floo network pass that was authorized and brought them over. What does it matter? You said the two of us couldn't take the large squad on, so I got some back up!" Sirius gestured ostentatiously and proudly at the three grinning young men behind him, who all took a bow.

Regulus went completely still and glared at him.

"Well, brother dearest," Regulus said slowly, through gritted teeth, "Did the thought ever cross your mind that YOU and I could use that emergency pass to ESCAPE?"

Understanding flashed through Sirius' eyes, and his face flushed.

"Uh, right…yea, course it did…I just…uh...bollocks." Sirus rubbed the back of his head ashamedly.

Regulus rolled his eyes and threw his hands into the air.

"Dunderheads! The lot of you! We get attacked by a bunch of murderous Dark Wizards, who are all but baying for my blood, and all you can think about is having a stupid reunion with your stupid friends!"

"Hey!" Peter objected.

"Shut it you curly-haired puff pastry!"

Peter's hand immediately went to his slightly podgy waist.

"Now that was unnecessary! This is what I get for saving your evil arse?" He grumbled, "And you wonder why people don't like you. Such a caustic and unpleasant personality, really!"

Regulus glared at Peter for a moment, then stomped out of the kitchen.

"Ungrateful git!" Peter shouted after him.

"There, there Wormy," Remus said as he patted his friend on the back, "Don't take it personally. Reggie's just a bit riled up with the whole imminent and impending death thing lurking over his head."

"Speaking of lurking," James piped in, "Shouldn't we be preparing for the Death Wankers outside?"

Sirius perked up.

"Right! Now we need to talk strategy. Oi Reg! Stop your sulking and get back in here!"

.

.

.

About a mile north, three groups of ten Death Eaters waited while one of their best ward-breakers worked.

"Vort! You useless sack of flesh! Hurry up!" Shouted one of the impatient masks.

The ward-breaker whipped around and glared at the area the voice had come from.

His yellow eyes flashed as he snarled at the middle group, teeth that had been filed to a point glinting dangerously. They all backed away several feet, frightened by Vorts inhuman appearance. He could smell the fear in his blood, and it angered him.

"You cowardly shits! Hiding behind your masks like little children behind their whore of a mother's skirt! Wait patiently like the good mongrels that you are! One more word from any of you and I will personally rip your throat out and force-feed it to the others!"

The middle group backed away a few more feet and began furiously berating the twat that had aggravated the only werewolf feared greater than Fenrir Greyback. The other two groups laughed at the offending group, holding no respect for what they considered nothing but cannon-fodder.

Vort turned back to his task. He had been working on unraveling Blacks' wards for the better part of two hours. They were incredibly intricate and advanced, with layers upon layers that twirled together. He would have been satisfied with taking so long if some idiot minion hadn't fired a spell at the wards, setting off a _Fianto Duri_, and essentially announcing their appearance.

He growled under his breath as yet another layer vanished. His bloodlust was aggravated by his irritation and it took all his self-control to stop himself from attacking the group of yapping twits.

A red haze had settled in Vort's mind. The wards would be down soon, and finally, this wolf could feast.

.

.

.

Two dark silhouettes stood at a window that had a view of vague forms shifting just beyond the wards. One of the silhouettes looked towards the general direction of a wrist and spoke.

"It has been three and a half hours. I expect them to break through my wards any moment now, so be prepared."

Regulus looked to his left, where Sirius stood and slumped slightly. Gone was the annoyance and anger from before. What was left in their place was fear and guilt. He had brought Sirius into this and now they could all die. And it was his fault, all his fault. How could he have been so stupid!

Sirius felt the movement and locked eyes with him. He could see the inner turmoil within Regulus. Sirius leaned against the windowsill and sighed.

"Quit it mate, you're gonna burst something. Plus you're making me nervous."

"Sirius, if some thing happens, I - "

"Would you kindly shut your gob please? We're going to be fine, just stop being a pillock, stick the plan and stop your bloody worrying, it's doing my head in!"

Regulus grinned cheekily. "Well now, the fact that I'm doing your head in is hardly incentive to shut up now is it _Wilberforce_?"

Sirius gasped. "You go to far! I told you that in confidence!"

Regulus cackled away at his brothers discomfort.

"You told me what your name would be if you were a super-wizard!" He managed to breath out, between chuckles.

"Excuse me! I believe the correct term was 'Masked Crusader', thank you very much!" Sirius spluttered indignantly before striking a pose. "And yes, Wilberforce was going to be a name feared by the denizens of the dark and loved by the rest. A name that would echo through the land inspiring the weak to become strong, the ailing to become healthy, the fatigued to become invigorated, and the brainless to become..."

At this point he noticed six extra eyes were watching him as well as the two in Regulus's head.

"…er…useful or something." He finished sheepishly, internally wincing at the amount of piss taking that was about to inevitably occur. _Bugger_.

.

.

.

Vort shivered in pleasure as he felt the wards go down. He straightened his back and heard a serious of cracks and clicks as his spine re-aligned. He had been very uncomfortable in his crouched position, but he had had to work on one of the main ward knots, which just happened to be quite low to the ground. To make matters more unpleasant, an Upper Echelon Death Eater had showed up; rank evident by the bone-white mask under the hood. However, the mask had no markings and no mouthpiece. It only had wide slits for eyes, high-cheekbones and distended nose slits. Vort could tell that the Death Eater was male from his scent (which also smelled faintly of wormwood, asphodel and…sloth brain?), but he hadn't said anything since arriving. He had simply stood there, staring at the house, as the minions muttered away amongst themselves.

The Death Eater must have felt the wards go down as well, as he signaled to the minions to advance. They moved past him and Vort as Vort stood watching the Upper Echelon Death Eater. The two locked eyes, and Vort found himself looking into two inky pools that seemed devoid of emotion. Then, in a deep, albeit sneering, baritone the Death Eater uttered four words.

"You as well, filth."

Vort growled at the man, feeling quite threatened. Nonetheless, he had his orders. He turned away from the man and loped off towards the house, saliva dripping from his jowls.

Let the hunt begin.

**AN: **Just to let everyone reading this know, I travel a lot, and I write this story while I travel, so I apologise for the inconsistent and short updates. Be that as it may, thank you very much for reading and I hope you're enjoying it.


	6. Solitude

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

**AN: **This next chapter takes place during parts of Regulus's story, but told from Snape's perspective. If you're only just reading this chapter, I highly recommend going back and reading the first few chapters, otherwise you might be a wee bit confused by the end.

**July 1****st**** 1978 (three months earlier)**

**Snape POV**

Solitude is a value that I hold in quite high regard. It is wholly infallible, in that you are only required to depend on yourself. In comparison, the dependence brought on by socializing and interaction inevitably leads to disappointment, anger and pain.

Solitude means I am left to myself to work, study, relax and simply be in peace. It is my quiet fortress in which I am the master and commander.

And ever since…her…my fortress would never play host to anyone ever again.

Be that as it may, I found myself making an exception in one Regulus Arcturus Black. The boy was a year younger than me, and seemed quite sociable, but I could tell it was all a mask. Beneath the façade of a pure blood socialite, expert in the art of social maneuverings was a kindred spirit. One who shared my thoughts and moral sense. I could tell that he was an intellectual, one who wished to simply gather knowledge and grow mentally.

It was with this thought that I found myself spending more and more time with him, researching, discussing, debating and simply enjoying the peacefulness in each other's presence. We became…friends.

And now, I have betrayed him.

Today is the day he receives his Mark.

Today is the day he enters the service of the Dark Lord, joining him at my encouragement. The Dark Lord had me study him, test him and eventually recruit him, as he wished for a Black to formally enter his service. His plan was to murder the Mongrel Black and place Regulus at the head of the family once Orion passed on, which is expected to be quite soon. This essentially meant that the immense power and influence that the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black held would be readily available to the Dark Lord.

However the Mongrel has been in hiding for quite some time. The Dark Lord has had trackers hunting him down for months, to no avail, and I fear the Dark Lord will deem Regulus no longer useful if the search remains fruitless.

And when a minion is considered no longer useful to the Dark Lord, he is only one other thing.

Disposable.

.

.

.

"Are you fully prepared for your ordeal Regulus?"

"Why Severus! Do I detect a hint of worry in your tone?"

Yes, you do my friend, yes you do.

My mask, hiding the frown that had graced my face for so very long, covered my face. Regulus is a stubborn man, and when he feels the subjugation brought on by his initiation, I worry he will fight it. And any sort of struggle has severe consequences. The Dark Lord demands complete and utter servitude.

I look over at his him and simply laugh as condescendingly as possible.

"Worried? Don't be a fool Black! I simply do not want you to make an ass out of me. After all, it was I who recommended you."

His mouth morphs into a knowing smirk.

"Ah yes, but of course. We wouldn't want anything to happen to your stellar reputation now would we Snape?"

I shot a glare his way and opened my mouth, a sharp retort on the tip of my tongue, just as the Dark Lord sweeps into the clearing. With his black robes billowing and a dark aura surrounding him, he makes quite a terrifying appearance. As I watch his eyes sweep the room a shiver runs down my spine. The amount of raw power that accompanied his presence was nearly overwhelming.

As he sits on his throne, he lays his eyes on Regulus.

This was it.

"Regulus Arcturus Black, scion of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, step forward to receive your Mark and enter my service."

.

.

.

_Why is he still shaking? Merlin, is he trying to fight the Mark? Surely not! He cannot be this foolish!_

He seemed quite unsteady after the Dark Lord dismissed him, but that was understandable. However, he continues to tremble and quiver by my side. I fear the worst. Any ordinary wizard cannot overcome the Dark Mark. Even those most advanced in Bonding magic would find the Dark Mark incredibly intricate and bewildering.

The Dark Lord seems to be finishing; I must act quickly if I am to save Regulus. The moment he dismisses us, I whip around, ready to apparate Regulus away from here, but I already see him striding away and then spinning quickly on the spot. Just before he disappears, he catches my eye for the fleetest of seconds. I register only one emotion.

Fear.

.

.

.

_He survived? _

When I hadn't heard from him for a few days, I became worried, but then, he showed up at the Manor. The picture of perfect health, raring to go, he greeted me with a smirk and nothing else.

I do not understand. How is this possible? Surely he didn't best the Dark Lord?

Or was there more to Black than I thought?

.

.

.

The Dark Lords Manor is bursting with activity. Masked Death Eaters stride in and out, sporting wounds, carrying prisoners or their own injured, gathering together for the next raid to commence. Like little ants, they continue to work, even when one of their number falls, they simply clamber over him and continue working.

Gone are the days of selective recruitment. The only time the Dark Lord wishes for a recommendation is when he is recruiting to add to the ranks of the Upper Echelon, and potentially his Inner Circle. For example, I was recruited by Lucius to enter the Upper Echelon. Currently, I have been informed that I am being considered to join the Dark Lords Inner Circle, which is a great honor, but terrifying nonetheless. The Dark Lord will require access to the entirety of my mind, something I am quite uncomfortable with.

Anyone below Upper Echelon is considered to be…easily expendable. Fodder, as Lucius would put it.

As I stood in the shadows of the Main Hall, observing the worker ants, I noticed Regulus coming down the stairs, exiting the Dark Lords main chamber. The look of feverish anticipation on his face informed me that his secret meeting with the Dark Lord had gone well. As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he looked to the shadows where I was standing and smirked.

"Always in covert operative mode aren't we Severus?"

I allowed a small twitch to grace my lips at his humorous remark. His uncanny ability to spot me even in the deepest shadows continues to both impress and thoroughly aggravate me. I stepped out of the shadows and fixed him with a glare.

"Very droll Black. Now what has you flouncing down the stairs with that idiotic grin on your face?"

He eyed me for a second, seemingly judging whether or not he should say anything. His excitement, however, got the better of him.

"I have finally been assigned a mission!" He blurted out, a childlike tinge affecting his voice. "A real, personal mission for the Dark Lord! Perhaps after I recover the artifact he will allow me access to his personal library, like you!"

I quickly grabbed his arm and pulled him down an empty hallway.

"Restrain yourself Regulus! You must be wary whilst in the Dark Lords Manor." I let go of his arm, and brushed some imaginary dust of my robes. "The underlings will always seek to undermine us if given the correct tools. As for gaining access to the Dark Lords personal library, you must be successful in far more missions to be granted such an honor. You have the potential, but you must be effective when carrying out the Dark Lords missions. Be quick, be efficient, be subtle and most of all, ask no questions. The Dark Lord hates questions."

Regulus listened raptly, absorbing every word. When I had finished talking, he looked me right in the eye and held my gaze for a moment. His hand reached out and grasped my shoulder firmly.

"Thank you Severus. Truly."

And with that, he departed.

.

.

Here I stand, gazing over the sand dunes.

So much has changed since Regulus departed for his mission.

When the Dark Lord informed me of his death via the Mark. I was told that it was because Regulus was a traitor. I had not believed it, but there was little I could do without seeming suspicious. I remember drinking far into the night. It felt like what happened with her all over again. I felt like I had lost a vital part of my identity. He was my ally, my brother in arms, and my confidante.

He was my only friend.

I remember waking up in a heap next to my fireplace, shattered glass glinting in the ashes. I remember the shame that burnt through me for bringing about his murder at the hands of a pockmark.

Then, he was alive. I had sat there, stunned, my mouth hanging open as Regulus Arcturus Black stood in front of me in the flash. He was alive! However my elation was short-lived.

He was immediately captured and thrown into a cell. No information concerning how he survived was gleamed from the Dark Lords vigorous punishment. Once again, he was left to die.

This time, however, he would not die. Not if there was anything I could do about it. He was the only person in the world I could trust, and no man, woman or beast could stop me.

Thus, I planted some muggle explosives, went down to his cell, released him, healed him, told him when to run and departed. He was barely conscious, so I had waited a little while longer, hoping he would regain his strength, before I detonated the explosives. The explosion rocked the manor I watched as he ran outside the gates, alarms blaring, and mentally sighed in relief. He was safe.

Now here I am, in the company of murderers, werewolves and cannon fodder, waiting for the wards to go down.

The Dark Lord himself assigned this mission. I was to oversee the extermination of Regulus Black and any that accompany him. This was my way into the Inner Circle.

However, this would be my last mission for the Dark Lord. I no longer find this subjugation bearable. And I highly doubt he'll be very happy with me when he finds out the mission failed BECAUSE of me.

I have started thinking of myself as a Trojan Horse.

And this is my Troy.

**AN:** Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Shards

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

The smell of fresh blood bloomed suddenly as a high-pitched scream tore through the air and was cut off abruptly. Vort slowed his loping run as the scent reached his nostrils. He pulled out his wand and advanced to the circle that had formed outside the front door. Several Stinging Hexes cleared his path only to find two halves of a Death Eater lying in the center.

"Fools!" Vort roared, grabbing the bottom half of the corpse and flinging it at the crowd. "Now pay attention!"

"You and you!" He barked, pointing at the more experienced groups. "Take the right and left flanks to the back of the house. I want it completely surrounded, with no chance of escape! Cannon Fodder! I want you to follow me, AFTER I have finished COMPLETELY unravelling the ward on the door! Understood?"

Just as he was about finished speaking, the mysterious Death Eater approached him and addressed the group in a deep and unnerving tone.

"Change of plans. The Dark Lord wishes for Black alive."

"Which one?" Vort snarled back.

The Death Eater fixed Vort with a gaze, his wand sliding out of the sleeve of his robes with a distinct clink and into his hand.

"Do not take me for a fool wolf, I know it has been long since you wetted your jowls with the blood of a wizard. However, you will control yourself or I will have you put down like the cur you are. The Dark Lord wishes for Regulus Black and any that accompany him to be captured alive. The others may be harmed and injured, but not killed and Regulus is to be left untouched. The Dark Lord wishes for that pleasure to remain his. There shall be no usage of the killing curse, are we clear?"

There was a general frightened murmur as each group began to take action. The Death Eater retreated a distance and Vort growled lightly, muttering obscenities under his breath as he began removing the evisceration ward that had yet to be disabled.

.

.

.

Sirius chuckled lightly from his position in the hall. He was hunkered down behind a couch that had been upended, along with any other furniture in the house, in the entrance hallway. This little obstacle would be easy for the Death Eaters to blast away, but they would also have to deal with Sirius lobbing curses while they were bogged down momentarily. The hallway gave Sirius the advantage of facing only two or three Death Eaters at a time while firing down a straight line. Add the fact that he was completely invisible thanks to James' invisibility cloak, Sirius believed this to be quite a substantial first line of defense.

"Oi Reg! Did you hear that?" He shouted gleefully, as the now-eviscerated Death Eater's scream died down. "One of your idiot friends actually fell for it!"

In the now empty living room, the younger Black rolled his eyes.

"Yes yes, all my friends are idiot Death Eaters, unfit to walk this earth. Play another tune would you? I find your lack of originality quite ironic seeing you were always considered to be the "funny" Marauder."

Regulus snickered as he heard an indignant huff from the hallways. A few seconds later Sirius's head appeared from the side of the doorframe.

"I'll have you know that Witch Weekly wrote that I "constantly have all the pretty witches in stitches" so there!"

Regulus smirked and lifted an eyebrow.

"Such a petulant child."

Sirius narrowed his eyes and growled at his brother. Just as he opened his mouth to retort, the front door was blasted open. Through the dust cloud that filled the hallway came scores of spells and curses. Sirius immediately covered himself with the cloak and went back to his position.

Silence reigned as the dust cloud began to settle, tension rising as both parties waited with bated breath. Then, through the cloud, Sirius could make out hazy figures slowly advancing into the house.

"_Lignum Torquent! Ventus Maxima!"_

Sirius' two spells shot out toward the hallway, the first one warping and twisting the wooden walls and floor into a tight funnel and the second blowing a gale force wind through it, blowing away any enemies that had gathered in the hallway and near the door.

Sirius chuckled darkly as he heard the muffled squeals of the flying Death Eaters. However, his chuckles were quickly cut off as a sickly yellow spell came flying through the funnel and he was forced to duck. The spell hit the wall, leaving a slimy coating on the back wall.

"Eugh" came Sirius' response as he was forced to duck again.

Another spell, this one an electric blue, flew through the funnel, heading directly for the slime. Sirius thought it had missed and was about to return his attention to the hallway when he saw it hit the slime, bounce of and _head toward his him_.

Sirus shouted in surprise and dived under the spell, invisibility cloak falling off of him in the process, as the spell continued onwards and hit his barricade, utterly obliterating it. He frantically threw up a shield as the debris went flying everywhere. In his surprise his shield came up a fraction too late and a wooden shard managed to get past end embed itself into his left thigh, right above his kneecap.

"Fuck!" He screamed, the pain lancing through his entire body. He dragged himself to the wall and put his back to it. His right hand went down to the shard and tugged slightly, testing it.

"Fuckity fuck!"

"Sirius, what the hell just happened?" Regulus shouted from the living room, his voice filled with worry.

"Barricade's down Reg, prepare your defenses," Sirius shouted back, his voice wavering slightly. "They'll be coming through any minute now."

"Are you alright?"

"Took a bit of wood to my left thigh, but I'll be ok. Just…agh…just get ready!"

Sirius steadied his nerves. This was not going to be pleasant. He wrapped his right hand around the shard firmly and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and pulled as hard as he could.

And screamed.

.

.

.

Vort grinned as a heard a scream from inside. That reflection spell was of his own creation and it had yet to fail. Part of him was worried, terrified in fact, at the possibility of the scream belonging to Regulus Black, but he quickly quashed the feeling.

"Accidents happen." He muttered to himself, blasting away the warped hallway. He vanished the debris of what used to be the funnel and began carefully padding down the hall. The scent of blood wafted through the air, causing him to stop and his pointed nose to twitch.

Fresh blood.

He turned and motioned for the fodder to remain quiet and wait three minutes before following him, hoping to sneak up on the injured enemy.

As he quietly stepped over the remains of what looked like a bookcase, he saw a puddle of blood that smeared towards and around the area of the wall. But where the smear ended, there was a bloody shard and….nothing.

How peculiar.

Vort sniffed around, slowly making his way to the spot where the blood smear ended. He could smell wizard, it was a strong scent too. But there was nothing there. He moved closer, the scent getting stronger.

Blood. Blood. Blood. Human blood. Flesh.

Where was it?

Then, all of a sudden, a voice shouted from another room.

"Sirius! Sirius, answer me dammit!"

Vort started as the noise broke the heavy silence, losing interest in the mysterious empty space which then shimmered and a black haired youth appeared, punching Vort in the face and sending him stumbling back, dazed.

"Surprise bollock-breath." The youth quipped, right before he blasted Vort against the opposite wall, knocking him out.

.

.

.

"Wot was 'at?" said one voice.

"Wot was wha'?" said another.

" 'At noise"

"Wha' noise? I din't ear nuffin."

"Stop bein a numpty an listen then would ya Walter?"

"I am! I don't ear nuffin! An don't say my name Angus!"

"Well then dinnae say my name either you eejit!"

"I only said it cos' you said mine! An don't call me an eejit!"

" Well you are one and Ill say whatever I - "

"Would you two inbred imbeciles shut your bloody mouths and start moving towards the noise!" said a third, interrupting the two bickering Death Eaters who were blocking the entrance to the house. "You've both said each others names, possibly compromising yourselves entirely, so just shut up, move on and don't make it any worse!"

"Sorry Paul." Said Angus.

"Yeh, sorry Paul." Said Walter.

"Oh for fucks sake..." Said Paul.

.

.

.

"Sirius! Sirius, answer me goddamit!" Regulus shouted, worried and frantic due to the long stretch of silence after Sirius's scream. A second later he heard a grunt, someone's voice, then a loud thud as something hit a wall in the hallway. He immediately ran towards the hallway, terrified at what he might see.

Instead, he came across Sirius, slumped against a wall, a grim smile on his face and his wand pointed at what appeared to be a clothed ape. Sirius looked up at him and barked out a laugh.

"Did you just blast a gorilla?" Regulus asked, amusement evident in his voice.

"Werewolf," Sirius grunted simply, wincing as he tried to sit up. Regulus quickly kneeled and started casting diagnostic spells on Sirius's leg.

"What happened?" He asked as he began performing some impromptu healing spells.

"Long story short, I got impaled, dragged myself to this very comfy wall, pulled the shard out, and screamed like a little child. Then I figured some of them would be on their way and I was pretty vulnerable, so I grabbed James's cloak and covered myself, hoping they would disregard the blood and continue on. Wasn't expecting ole Wolfy here and he started sniffing about. Got quite close to my face till your squealing distracted him- Ow! You did that on purpose!"

Regulus smirked and motioned for him to continue. Sirius glared at his brother darkly before continuing.

"So I thumped him and then blasted him. And here we are."

"Right, well I've been able to stop the bleeding and heal most of it, but its still going to be a bit sore. You can get up, but try not to put to much pressure on it just yet, understood?"

"Yeah yeah. Cheers mate," Sirius got up slowly and tested his leg, wincing slightly. He looked down at the torn tatters of his jeans and picked at them forlornly. "These were my favourite pair too."

"I think we have bigger problems to worry about."

Sirius, hearing a tone of panic in his brother's voice looked up, only to see three Death Eaters standing right in front of them, wands out and pointed at the brothers chests.

"I reckon we found em Pau-,"said one of them, before he was interrupted.

"Shut UP!" the other Death Eater roared.

Sirius chuckled nervously.

_Shite_

_**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it!**  
><em>


	8. Tattoo

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

"What d'you think is taking so long?" Asked Peter, twirling his wand. The three other Marauders were currently standing in the middle of a large circular room that had doors all around its walls. Thirteen doors to be exact and they were all unique. There was a large, dark mahogany door with a golden handle that was decorated with carvings of various woodland animals. The one next to it was a vibrant green with a dark brown handle, and it seemed to be made out of moss that had dew glistening on it. Three doors down a bright white door that looked to be made of ice with a light blue handle shimmered, causing the air around it to mist.

"I'm not too sure mate. Regulus did say there were a lot of them," James said, his brow creasing at the possibility of them getting hurt. "But I'm sure they're fine. If things've gone tits up, we'd know."

Remus itched at a spot over his heart and frowned. "Are you sure about that? My one's been a bit burny since before we got here, round about the time Padfoot said the Death Eaters had arrived on Sandray."

Peter nodded, rubbing his ankle. "Same with mine. I felt the burn flare a bit a few minutes ago, but its back to a mild heat now."

"Yea, mines been warming up a bit too, but that's normal," James said, rolling up his right sleeve. There, on his right shoulder, was a small stag hoof print. The skin around it was slightly red and was emanating a fair amount of heat. "We're surrounded by Death Eaters, so there's potential danger everywhere at the moment."

Back in Fifth Year, after James, Peter and Sirius had successfully completed their Animagus transformations, the Marauders had decided to celebrate and proceeded to get absolutely and unequivocally bladdered. The outcome of this vigorous drinking session was ink. Not a lot of it, thankfully, but enough. They had each gotten the paw print, or in Jame's case, hoof print, of their "inner" animal. It was only after a three day hangover (firewhisky packs a cruel and unusual punch) and much terrified worry ("Mum's going to kill me!" "YOUR mum?! What about MY mum?!"), did they finally accept what had happened ("Here lads, reckon this'll help me finally get in to Persephone Powers' knickers?"). Peter had then had the bright idea to enchant and link their tattoos, allowing them to apparate straight to each other and know if they were in danger. A mild burn could mean anything, from being near a hippogriff or having plates chucked at your head. However, a high burn meant mortal danger. Potential risk of death. HELP.

Peter cringed as the heat spiked.

"Something's not right," He said as he rubbed his ankle again. "Something's not right at all. They should have been here by now, and the burn is only increasing.

James tried to grin. "It's Sirius mate, don't worry, he knows what he doing."

Remus snorted. "Yea, just as long as he and Reggie stop – AGH, FUCK!"

The three of them reeled as the tattoos started burning like hellfire. Remus faltered and James could see his knees starting to buckle. He reached over and hoisted him up.

"Pete, take Remus and temporarily deactivate his charm," he said, helping Peter get a grip of their furry friend. "Wait here, and be ready, I'll send a patronus to let you know what's happened."

Peter's eyes went wide and he reached out to James. "James, no, you can't - "

"Just do it mate! I don't know how much time they have!"

"Right, ok…just be careful yea?"

James nodded and ran to a blank spot between two doors and shouted, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good". As the words left his mouth, a door appeared. James bolted through and began running up a long and winding staircase. He slowed as he reached the door on top, and flicked his wrist. His wand slipped into his palm and he disillusioned himself.

"A Marauder wishes to enter the kitchen." He muttered and pushed the door open gently. The kitchen was empty, not a soul in sight. He heard voices coming from the living room, so he quickly turned around and pushed the door open again slightly. He jerked back as he heard an unfamiliar voice roar.

"Shut UP!"

"You get a biscuit for pointing out the obvious." Sneered another voice, this one quite distinct. James winced. _Dammit Regulus_. He opened the door wider and saw several figures in black in the hallway. He quietly slipped into the living room and dived behind the upturned couch. He now had a view of both parties. Sirius's left pant leg was in tatters and covered in blood.

The Death Eater who had roared earlier spoke again.

"I didn't expect you to be so easily captured Black, you've been quite slippery these past few weeks."

"Hello Paul, still a boot licker I see. If I had known you were a babysitter I would have recommended you to my cousin. God knows her and Malfoy need time away from their little harpy."

"Reggie! How rude of you!" Sirius chimed in. "You didn't tell me you were having friends over! Tea and scones anyone?"

James stifled a chuckle.

"_Crucio!_"

Sirius fell to one knee, his whole body shaking. His eyes were clamped shut, his hand going white as it clenched his wand.

Paul released him and laughed gleefully.

"I've always wanted to get my revenge on you Black. All those years of torture you put my house through, which you put me through! You filthy blood-traitor!"

Breathing heavily, Sirius opened his eyes slowly and smirked at Paul.

"Didn't realise you held a candle De Vries. If you'd fancied a bit of the ole slap and tickle you should have just asked."

"I…never…you…disgusting…_CRUC - "_

"Enough!"

James's eyes widened.

The group of Death Eaters parted suddenly and a tall Death Eater in a bone white mask stepped through. Paul immediately began spluttering away.

"Sir, we- I mean I- captured them. They were cowering in the back of the hall, but I overpowered them and - "

"Quiet." He knew that voice. That drawling, greasy voice.

"But sir, I - "

The Death Eater lazily waved his wand in his inferior's direction.

"_Langlock"_

_Snape._

Paul jerked back in surprise, his hand going to the mouthpiece on his mask. He made a few sounds before the other Death Eaters grabbed him and pulled him back.

Sirius peered at the imposing masked figure that stood silently in front of them. His brow was furrowed in deep thought as he tried to put a name to the voice he had heard. It invoked a deep loathing and yet, the familiarity caused him to chuckle a little. Oh, he knew who this was.

"_Snivellus?!_" He chirped out, barely containing his mirth. "No, surely not my dear _Snivellus_! Why I never! How are you old chap! Don't you look all grown up! Have you started wearing big boy undies yet?"

James struggled to contain yet another snort, the apprehension he felt earlier dissipating slightly. However, as Snape strode forward, the reality of the situation sank right back in. James immediately began to rise from behind the couch, prepared to strike, but Regulus spotted him before he could do anything and gave him an almost imperceptible shake of his head. James stopped, and crouched back down, confused. _It's Snape for Merlin's sake, not the bleeding Easter Bunny!_

Snape stopped right in front of Sirius, his wand outstretched and tucked under Sirius' chin. His left hand came up and removed his mask. His eyes stayed fixed on Sirius' face, not budging an inch.

"You've always had quite the mouth _mongrel_. Never quite knew when to stop the verbal diarrhoea that you tend to spout, always trying to _transform_ a sticky situation to you advantage," Snape leaned in, his eyes glinting, his jaw clenching. His eyes flickered towards Regulus, who nodded slightly. "This time, however, you have got yourself caught in a situation where your charm will achieve nothing but a swift kick in that _mongrel_ behind of yours. Sirius, you are quite the trapped _mongrel._"

James was dumbfounded. Had Snape just called Sirius by his actual name? And why wasn't Sirius doing anything? What the bloody hell was going on?!

A tense silence filled the air as the two wizards glared at each other. Sirius seemed to be palming his wand slightly, and Snape's wand shifted away from his neck. Then, in a flash, Sirius transformed and he and Regulus dived into the living room and hid behind the couch with James, while Snape whirled around.

"_Bombarda Maxima!_" He shouted. The overpowered hex flew like quicksilver towards the other Death Eaters and they went flying. Bits of arms and legs and blood showered the area, but by that point Snape had joined the rest of the group behind the couch. He smirked at James' shocked expression as he struggled to comprehend the recent sequence of events. _Snape_, their eternal nemesis, was helping them. WHAT.

"Prongs," Sirius said, waving a hand in front of his friends face. " Oi Prongs! Stop standing there gaping like a fish out of water. Get your arse in gear! We have a plan to stick to!"

James snapped out of his haze of confusion and shook his head. The four of them moved towards the kitchen, but Regulus lingered behind. He quickly went over to the invisibility cloak lying on the floor, picked it up and tucked it away in his robes. When he turned back to the kitchen door, Snape stood in front of him.

The two looked at each other. Regulus slowly reached out a gripped Snape's shoulder.

"Thank you my friend."

Snape simply nodded. The two then strode into the kitchen. Sirius stood there with James, quickly explaining the situation to him.

"…and then he helped Reggie escape by blasting the whole damn Manor."

James looked at him incredulously. "Fuck off, seriously?!"

Sirius barked out a laugh and shook his head. "I know right! Mental."

He saw the two enter and smiled broadly.

"That was quite a show mate. Good on ya for finally coming to your senses."

Snape glared at Sirius, and after a moment of uncomfortable silence, with Sirius grinning sheepishly, Snape sighed.

"Yes, well…have you bumbling buffoons got a plan or are we going to sit here till the murderers outside decide to come and play?"

Sirius' grin widened and became almost doglike. He chuckled darkly and ran his hand through his hair.

"Oh yes, we definitely have a plan. And what a plan it is," he said, rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Prongs, Regulus, take him downstairs and fill him in. It's time to initiate phase one."

Regulus rolled his eyes at his brother's theatrics and called out to Severus. They moved towards the door and Regulus requested it to lead to the basement. The two disappeared down the stairs and James quickly followed after wishing Sirius good luck. The door was left open.

The only way into the kitchen now was the back door. And the two elite groups had surrounded the back. Sirius dragged the table over to the door leading to the basement. Then he dragged all the chairs but one and barricaded the back door. The remaining chair he levitated then banished through the kitchen window. Shouts of surprise could be heard coming from outside, and spells started exploding against the back door. His minor wards would hold for a minute.

Sirius transformed and jumped on top of the table. He sat there, wagging his tail and barked out happily.

Let the games begin.

**A/N: Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it!**


	9. Sheep

**Disclaimer: **Every single character in this story, except for the OCs I might make up, belongs to JK Rowling. I do not own Harry Potter.

"What the fu – _Stupefy_!"

Snape dived out of the way of the oncoming spell. He _knew_ he shouldn't have gone through the door first, and yet he had still done it.

_Merlin,_ He thought, as he went sailing through the air, _Their stupidity is contagious!_

The werewolf began to cast another spell at the flying Potions Expert, but James intercepted him.

"Remus, no! Stop!" Cried James as he quickly went over to shield Snape with his body. "He's with us!"

Remus looked at him incredulously. "Are you mental?! It's…He's Snape! He's a Death Muncher!"

"I know, I know, but he swapped sides. He just saved Sirius' life mate! I mean, If that's not a testament to his true allegiances, then I don't know what is."

Both Peter and Remus stared at Snape, their jaws hanging wide open. Snape quickly got up from behind James and brushed off his robes. He looked back at the two dumbstruck Marauders and quirked an eyebrow.

"Are we going to have any more horrible spell casting or can we get on with it?" He sneered at the two of them. Remus flushed red.

"Look here you greasy little tosspot - "

"Lupin," Regulus called out, interrupting the upset werewolf. "Enough. We must move on with our plan. Sirius is upstairs preparing. Plus, with Snape here, we have an advantage."

"Yea?" Remus challenged. "And what's that? Are we going to strain out the grease from his hair and make a slip and slide?"

Snape narrowed his eyes at the insult, but kept silent. The other three simply looked confused.

"A what?" Asked Peter, scratching his head.

"It's like this long, thin piece of plastic that you lay down in the grass and put water on and then you can slide down it."

James nodded his head enthusiastically. "Ohhhh right, m'hm, of course…. Quick question: what's plastic?"

Remus ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "For fucks sake – never mind. The jokes not even funny any more."

Peter giggled slightly.

"Shut up Peter."

* * *

><p>Twenty Death Eaters stood outside the back door of Black's hovel, waiting for a sign from those inside. All of them stood at attention, wands out and tense. Their silver masks cold and expressionless. There was a light breeze that whistled slightly, buffeting their robes and causing them to flutter. It was all quite ominous.<p>

All of a sudden, a loud squawk broke the silence, and they all, on instinct, simultaneously fired hexes and curses at the unfortunate seagull above. Using its natural born agility, it dodged the spells and unleashed an explosive revenge of its own on the attackers below. As it flew away majestically, it let out yet another squawk, one that almost sounded like…laughter?

The splattered Death Eaters grumbled and scourgified their robes. A few of them gathered together to help others. Conversations began to pop up as they waited.

"Bloody rodents with wings…" Muttered one of the disgruntled cloaks.

"Here, Ballantine, did you hear about Roddy Lestrange's new wife?"

"You mean Cygnus's eldest?"

"Aye, that's the one."

"What about her?"

"Absolute nutter. Madder than the Mad Hatter, and trust me, I knew the bloke."

"No kidding?"

"Seriously. Get this, Vallan told me that during the ceremony, she apparently threatened to rip out the officiators throat and feed it to him for taking too long."

"No she didn't!"

"I kid you not my friend, he showed me the memory and everything."

"Merlin…I remember Bellatrix when she was just a little girl, when I used to go over to Cygnus' for those estate dinners. She always _was_ quite the creepy one. Did I ever tell you about the time I found her sewing their house elf's ears together with cooked spaghetti?"

"What? How does that even work?"

"I know, right? The logistics of it make no sense. But the filthy creature just sat there while this little girl in braids threaded bloody spaghetti through its ears, humming _God Rest Ye, Merry Hippogriffs_. It was surreal."

"Well, that's what you get for centuries of inbreeding; children battier than Dumbledore's hideous Halloween robes."

The two chuckled at that image, and after a moment of awkward silence, the one named Ballantine spoke again.

"She is quite the looker though, isn't she?"

"Oh yes. If I were a younger man, she'd get it so quick her - "

The two gossiping Death Eaters were interrupted as a chair flew through the back window. They all jumped and began firing spells like they did with the seagull, not realising they were firing upon an inanimate object.

The group interpreted this mysterious flying chair as the sign they had been waiting for and proceeded to try and break down the back door. The wards surrounding it held off the most basic of spells, but buckled under the group's darker repertoire of magic. As they tried to open the door, they found it blocked from the other side and proceeded to blast the door and everything behind it. As they entered the kitchen, dust flying everywhere, they came upon a sad sight. A large, black, wolf like dog sat in the middle of the kitchen, its chin on the floor, its behind in the air and its paws over its eyes. Slowly, it moved one paw, squinted at the Death Eaters standing overhead and proceeded to whine.

The cloaks, thinking this to be an ordinary dog, disregarded the pitiful sight. As they began slowly inching forward and searching the kitchen, the dog got up and walked over to them, it's tail wagging.

"Oi, Fenton, I reckon this mutt has taken a liking to you."

Fenton patted the dog on its head and kneeled down.

"Ah the poor bugger, having to live in this shitehole Black calls a home," He said, scratching the dog behind its ears. "Whooo's a good puppy? You're a good puppy! Yes you are! Yes you are!"

The dog barked and licked the Death Eaters mask, coating it with slime. Fenton back away, trying to wipe away the saliva.

"Eurgh, that smells terrible!" He complained. The dog barked again and ran to another Death Eater, where proceeded to lift his left hind leg.

"Here mutt, what d'you think you're – Hey! You filthy little fuck! Fenton, your bloody dog just pissed on me!"

Everyone roared with laughter as the man aimed a kick at the dogs behind. The dog dodged the kick and caught the man leg in its mouth. The whole group went silent as they looked upon the scene with apprehension.

The man called Fenton inched forward and started cooing at the dog, trying to convince it to drop his colleague's leg. The dog rolled it eyes and clamped down as hard as it could. Blood spurted everywhere as the mutt chewed on the man's leg like a bone. A sickening crunch was heard as the dog's jaws reached bone. The cloaks snapped out of their daze and started firing spells at the dog, finally realising that it represented a verifiable threat. The dog let go of the man's leg, ran to the far end of the kitchen, turned around and grinned, a large toothy grin, before it bolted down the staircase leading to shadowy depths.

The large group charged after the animal, abandoning their squealing colleague. They slowed down once they reached the entrance, and cautiously descended the staircase. Their only source of light was a few torches, but a sudden wind blew up the staircase and blew them out. The only light now was the light coming from under the door at the bottom of the stairs.

After some argument and a bit of scuffling, one of the cloaks was pushed to the front, where he gingerly began opening the door. When there was no sign of danger, the rest flowed in as well. The door opened into a circular room, with many doors lining it's walls. In the centre of this room, however, lay another Death Eater, face down.

Digging through the Death Eater's pockets was the dog. It found some sort of silvery cloth and somehow managed to wrap it around its neck like a cape. It then sat on the Death Eaters back and began drooling all over itself.

Suddenly, it barked again and began running towards the group. However, gone was the friendly grin of a pet dog. What replaced the dog's visage was a wolf like snarl, with long fangs bared and a deep growl that chilled to the bone. The Death Eaters backpedalled while firing spells at the wolf, and tried to go back up the stairs, but when they turned around, they found that the door they had just entered through had vanished. The dog continued to advance at an alarming pace, and just as it lunged at their throats, something fell over it's head and it vanished. Poof, like a puff of smoke.

The Death Eaters just stood there, thoroughly confused. Finally, one piped up.

"I smell piss."

"Dammit Von Foon, did you piss yourself again?"

A small looking Death Eater in the back shuffled his feet as a growing stain covered his crotch. He quickly scourgified his robes and looked at the rest of the group.

"No! Must've been someone else!"

"That's the third time you've widdled yourself on a raid Von Foon! Get a grip on that bladder of yours!"

"But it wasn't - "

Von Foon's protests where quickly cut off as a loud groan was heard. The source of this groan was the prostrate Death Eater on the floor. The group quickly rushed over and rolled their comrade over. It was the Upper Echelon Death Eater! They quickly grabbed his arms and helped him stand up. The Death Eater steadied himself and quickly shrugged off their hands.

"Thank you, but that's quite enough." He sneered, striding past them and then turning around. "Right, we have a mission to continue."

"What's the plan sir?" Asked a cloak.

"Before that _mongrel_ attacked me, I saw Black, Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew each run through one of these doors." He said, gesturing at the various doors surrounding them. "The other Black, our target, ran through the same room as his brother. So, split up into four groups: Alpha, Rho, Sigma, and Epsilon. Alpha will go through the mahogany door, Rho will go through the vibrant green door, Sigma will go through the light blue door and Epsilon will go through light yellow door. Hunt down and capture our targets. Remember! No usage of the killing curse or other potentially fatal spells is permitted – that is, unless you wish for a long and excruciating death at the hands of our Lord. Understood?"

The cloaks nodded their heads and began forming groups. Once they were ready, they each went to their respective doors, cautiously opened them and went through, leaving the lone Death Eater by himself.

Once the last door closed, Snape sighed and took off his mask. He rolled his shoulders, cracked his neck and massaged the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a disembodied voice spoke.

"Well, that was a lot easier than I had expected." It said.

"Yes well…they are trained to be completely subservient to those more powerful than them, be it magically or politically," Snape replied. "They have two emotions: anticipation and fear. Anticipation for the possibility of rising up in the ranks and gaining power; and the fear of punishment by the hand of those more powerful, predominantly the Dark Lord."

"Baa," Said the voice.

Snape nodded reluctantly. "Succinctly put. Now kindly take the cloak off so we can continue with the plan. It is quite unnerving speaking to empty air."

There was a quick movement in the air and Sirius suddenly appeared, holding a silvery cloak. He grinned at Severus and tossed him the cloak.

"Sorry bout jumping on you mate, I'd honestly forgotten you were with us."

Snape swiftly snatched the silvery silk and stared at Sirius for several seconds, before sighing softly.

"Sure you did." He said sarcastically, before donning the cloak and quickly going through the vibrant green door.

Sirius chuckled and walked towards the light yellow door.

"Greasy bastard."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I know, this chapter is a bit of a filler, not too much happens, but it is important for the set up. Let me know what you all think.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!


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